1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to barriers. More specifically, but not by way of limitation, the present invention relates to portable ballistic barriers.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
There are a number of situations and locations in which barriers are useful for a variety of purposes. For example, barriers may be used to route traffic, protect structures, and the like. In many instances, it is highly desirable for such barriers to be portable so they may be easily transported to a point-of-use and installed with a minimum of effort, manpower, footing structures, and/or equipment. However, it is also highly desirable that such barriers be durable and strong enough to protect from potential dangers. Potential dangers may include people crossing the barriers, cars crashing into the barriers, and/or bullets, shrapnel, blasts, and the like that could puncture and/or destroy the barriers and cause damage or injury to structures, objects, and/or individuals protected by the barriers.
Often, the weight and difficulty of installation of a barrier increase as the durability and strength of the barrier increase. For example, concrete blast barriers may require cast in place footings, heavy equipment to transport and install, or may not be transportable at all. Conversely, plastic traffic barriers may be made of plastic so as to be relatively easy to transport and install, but may be limited in the amount of protection they provide from various potential dangers.
Some plastic barriers, such as traffic barriers, may be placed at a point-of-use and subsequently filled with water or other liquid material. Such liquid adds weight to the barrier and generally increases the amount of energy the barrier can absorb. For example, the added weight of the liquid may absorb enough energy to slow or partially deflect a vehicle that impacts the barrier. However, the liquid within such a barrier may be insufficient for smaller projectiles such as bullets and/or shrapnel, which impart their energy on a much-smaller area of the barrier. In addition, once the barrier is penetrated, fluids drain at the point of penetration, thereby leaving the barrier non-effective. As such, there are numerous instances where stronger and more-durable barriers are desirable.
For example, one instance where stronger and more durable barriers are desirable is for the protection of electrical, gas, and/or water treatment stations or substations, especially in rural areas, which may contain equipment that is particularly susceptible to projectiles, bullets, shrapnel, blasts, and the like. Additionally, such stations and substations may house equipment whose damage and/or failure may have far-reaching consequences, such as, for example, power outages, environmental contamination and the like. In many instances, the equipment is non-replaceable due to the age of the equipment used or the fact that the equipment is not produced anymore. As such, stations and substations of this type may be more likely to be targeted by terrorists and the like.
A number of barriers and barrier panels have been suggested to protect structures, facilities, and the like from bullets and other projectiles. Many of such known barriers are complex, expensive to manufacture, and/or difficult to transport and/or install. For example, some such barriers are of such weight and/or size that they require heavy equipment such as cranes to install. In areas with overhead or underground power lines or grids, soft or sandy soils, and/or other impediments to heavy equipment access, it is difficult, if not impossible, to install such barriers. In addition, footings are required which can affect underground power grids that lie shallow below the ground.
As such, a need exists for stronger and more durable barriers, preferably suited for protection from bullets, blast, and other projectiles, which are portable enough to be installed without the use of heavy equipment or permanent infrastructure.